Advances in mobile and cellular telephone technology have resulted in a class of phones known as “smartphones” that combine cellular telephone technology with computing technology. Examples of such smartphones include the iPhone™ as manufactured by Apple Corporation and the Blackberry™ as manufactured by Research In Motion Ltd., among others. The computing capabilities that smartphones possess enable them to be used for many uses and applications. A spin-off industry has evolved for third-party software developers to develop applications, or “apps” as they are known, for use on smartphones that can use the physical features built into the smartphones for any variety of uses, interests and applications. These apps can be downloaded by the user onto their smartphone, either from the Internet or from their cellphone service provider.
Smartphones can also include touch screens that enable users to interface with their smartphones by simply touching icons displayed on the touch screen. A limiting factor in using smartphones is that the touch screen, and the icons displayed thereon, may be too small for a user to discern or operate. Another limiting factor is that most smartphones are consumer-grade products that are not robust enough for use in industrial applications or in harsh atmospheric conditions.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an apparatus and method for using a smartphone that overcomes their shortcomings.